Type-writing machine.



L C.McLAUGHUN.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE. APPUCATION FRED 0cI.29.x9|

1,140,274. Patented May 18, 1915.

INVENTOM wiruessEa ATToRuEw MCLAUGHUN. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29. I913.

UNITED PATENT ()FFIGE.

ere. MQ AU HLI 9 "err. e a nq To QZ I Q TYPEWRITER coMr'ANtr, or NEW' ORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

specificat i'oh of Letters i at'e'nt.

Patented May 18, 1915.

Application filed October 2:), 191a. serial a... 797,963.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C, MGLAUGH- LIN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements. in Type- VVriting Machines, of which the following is a specification. I I

My invention relates to ribbon mechanism for typewriting machines, and more particularly to mechanism in which two ribbons, usually of different colors, are adapted to be brought alternately into use, to be vibrated over the printing point when the type-bars are actuated.

The invention provides an ini p roved form of ribbon-vibrating mechanism comprising positions.

two ribbon guides movable alternatively to an operative position, and a vibrating lever which is automatically connected .with either ribbon guide when the latter isshifted to operative position, and simultaneously disconnected from the other guide as the lattermmov'es to inoperativepo's'ition, The vibrating lever is mounted to shift up and down with the shift rail on which the. pl "ten runs, andcarries with it the ribbon to which it is connected, so that the active or operative guide maintains the same relation to the platen in both upper and lower case The ribbon guides, which are preferably duplicates and interchangeable, are ,shiftable alternatively to at ive position by bell cranks, one arm of ea'c bell crank having a. lost motionconnection with a ripbon guide, to permit theguide to vibra e over the printing point wit out moviiig the bell crank, another arm of each bell crank connected with a shifting bar, the arrange ment being such that when the bar is shifted to lift one ribbon guide to active pi), sition, the other is simultaneously v'ed downwardly to inactive position, sai shift bar being operatively connected to a keyactuated rock shaft. vSairljobkshaft also has connection with the vibratordlever for slot to receive a pin ,on the vibrator lever, whereby the amplitude of vibration of the lever is the same for all positions of the latt'er. The ribbon-shifting mechanism may be locked with both ribbons in an inopera tivev intermediate position, and the vibrator lever disconnected from both guides.

Qther features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view from the rear showing one form of the invention as applied to an Underwood typewriting machine. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view illustrating a guide slot the rear of the type guide and the typebar segment. 3. is a perspective view of a ribbon-guide. Fig. 4 is a front elevation view. showing one of the ribbon guides inoperative position and the other silenced. Fig. 5.isa slmilar view, but .with the position of the guides reversed. Fig. 6 is a sectional 'elevationview of the invention, the section being taken from .the front to the rear of the machine. Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the position of parts when a type hasbeen moved upto the platen. 4 The. .laten l is carried on a frame 2 mounte on a' traveling carriage for movementin letter-feed direction. The platen is shiftable from lower. to upper case position by means of a shift rail 3 operable by the usual mechanism (not shown), on which runs a roller 4 on the platen frame, Typebars '5 are mounted on a pivot rod 6 on a stationa fyqtype-bar segment 7, and are actuated .by keys 8 pivoted at 9 and connected rough bell cranks 10 to the type-bars. T e latter; carry upper. and lower case types 11 and 1 2, respectively, which, when the keys are depressed, are moved up to the printing point On the front face of the platen, the types as they approach the printingpoint entering the usual type'guide 13, niounte on the segment 7 Two rib j'o'ns 14 and 15 arethreaded respectively through t e front and rear'ribbon guides or vibrators. 16, and 17. ,7 These ribbon guides are preferabl' identical in consfiruction, therefore interc angeable, and as s gm; Fig. 3, each uide comprises eyes I8 throug'h which the r bbon is threade separated by a space 19 to accommodate and 22 to accommodate respectively a vibrating lever or actuator and a shifting device for moving the guide into and out of active position.

The stem 20 of each ribbon guide is offset laterally with respect to the opening 19, and the guides are in reverse position, that is, the front face of one guide corresponds to the rear face of the other guide, so that the stems 20 are offset on opposite sides of the printing point, thus leaving a space between the said stems. Each of the guides carries a guide pin 23. The pin 23 on the rear guide 17 works in a vertical slot 24 formed in a guide bar 25 connected as by screws 26 to the rear face of the type-bar segment, and guides the vibrator 17 in its vertical movement. The pin 23 on the front vibrator enters a vertical slot 27 formed in the type-bar segment and serves to vertically guide the vibrator 16.

The guide bar 25 is offset from the seg ment 7 as by means of angles 28. to provide a space for the ribbons and guides, and is further provided with a central offset portion 29 to receive and guide the rear vibrator 17. The two ribbon guides or vibrators are selectively movable upwardly into active position by means of shifting devices comprising bell crank levers 30 and 31 cooperating respectively with the front and rear guides 16 and 17. These levers are mounted by means of their pivots 32 on a frame 33 extending parallel with the shift rail 3 and having a rear vertical flange connected as by screws 34 (Fig. 1) to a flattened face of the shift rail, whereby said frame 33 is rigidly connected to the shift rail and moves up and down therewith, the bell crank levers 30 and 31 being pivoted on the vertical front flange of said frame 33. Each of these bell cranks comprises an arm extending laterally toward the ribbon guides, and provided at its inner end with a pin 35, which enters the notch 22 in the adjacent guide. The bell cranks also have upwardly extending arms connected by pivots 36 to a horizontally disposed shift rod or bar 37 connected through a link 38 to a rock arm- 39 fixed to a rock shaft 40. A rock bar 41 fixed to the forward end of the rock shaft, carries finger pieces or keys 42 and 43, for rocking said shaft and, through the connections just described, moving the ribbon guides alternatively into active position. When the key 43 is depressed, the shift bar 37 is moved to the right, as shown in Fig. 5, and swings the bell crank 30, so that the pin 35 thereon engages the upper shoulder 22 formed by the notch 22 in the front ribbon guide 16, and shifts said guide to an active position above the type-bar segment. The pin 35 on the bell crank 31 at the same time engages the lower shoulder 22 of the notch 22 in the ribbon guide 17 and moves the latter to an inactive position below the upper edge of the segment 7, carrying the ribbon 15 with it to inactive position.

The active ribbon is vibrated over the printing point on the platen by means of a universal bar frame 44, operating through an interponent or vibrator lever 45 which forms an actuator for the ribbon vibrators and which may be in the form of a bell crank lever connected by a pivot 46 to the rearwardly extending arm of a bracket 47 fixed as by means of screws 48 to a slide 56 on the rear vertical flange of the frame 33. The universal bar frame 44 is part of a universal bar 49 entering a recess 50 in the segment 7, into the path of shoulders 51 formed on the type-bars 5, so that as each type-bar is moved to printing position, the universal bar is moved rearwardly, and through connections 52, operates the escapement mechanism, not shown.

The vibrator lever 45 comprises an up wardly extending arm carrying a pin 53, which works in a vertical slot 54 in a bracket 55 fixed to the universal bar frame 44, and also comprises a horizontally disposed, forwardly-extending arm, the forward end of which is seated in the notch 21 of the active ribbon guide. When the universal bar is moved rearwardly by the actuation of a type-bar, the lever 45 is moved about its pivot and carries the active ribbon guide upwardly to interpose the ribbon between the type and platen as the type comes up to the printing point. The notch 22 is of such depth as to permit this movement of the ribbon guide without interfering with the shifting lever 30.

The vibrator lever 45 is shiftable laterally into engagement with the active ribbon guide by means of the slide 56 to which it is connected, as already described, said slide 56 being connected through a link 57 to a rock arm 58 fixed to the shaft 40. The slide 56 is supported and guided on the frame 33 by means of shouldered screws 59 extending through slots 60 in the slide 5 and threaded into the frame 33.

As shown in Fig. 1, the lever 45 is connected with the forward ribbon guide 16. If the key 42 is depressed to reverse the ribbon guides, the lever 45 through the connections just described, is at the same time shifted to the right (Fig. 1), and thus ca'rried over against the guide 17 as the latter moves upwardly to active position, the arm of the lever 45 being sufiiciently resilient to give slightly after it strikes the stem 20 of the guide 17, and slides along the guide until it snaps into position in the notch 21 as the guide completes its movement to active position. If desired, springs 46 may be mount ed on the pivot pin 46 on opposite sides of the lever 45 to permit the lever to yield when brought against the ribbon guides during the shifting of the guides and lever. It will thus be seen that the vibrator lever is automatically connected to the active ribbon guide when the latter is moved to active position, and entirely disconnected from the inactive guide, so that only one ribbon is vibrated at any time during the operationof the machine, the inactive guide being positively held in its lowered position by its shifting lever or 31. It Will be apparent that when the platen is shifted to upper case position, the lever is moved upwardly bodily and carries the active ribbon upwardly the same distance as the platent is moved. In other Words, the relative position of the platen and active ribbon remains unchanged during the platen-shifting move- 'ments. The bracket extends upwardly a suflicient distance to maintain an operative connection with the pin 53 when the platen is shifted to upper case position, this connection also eflectin the same vibrating -movement of the ribbon for any position of the platen. In other words, the amplitude of vibration of the ribbon guide is the same for both upper and lower case positions. The ribbon guides may be, shifted to an intermediate position where they remain 3.0 below the printing line, permitting the machine to be used for stenciling or other work Where it is desired to operate the keys without printing through a ribbon. When in such intermediate position, the actuator 45 is-disconnected from both guides so that the latter remain stationary. p

The rock shaft 40 carrying the shift keys may be held in either of its operative positions by any suitable means, as for example, .that disclosed in the patent to Cook, 926,050, of June 22, 1909. Such means comprises a pin 61 projecting rearwardly from the rock bar 41 into position to coiiperate With a spring arm 62 which may be mounted on a bracket 63 on the machine frame, said arm 62 adapted to permit'the pin 61 to snap past it as the-bar 41 is shifted, thereby holding said bar in either of its shifted positions. To hold said bar iii an intermediate position 9 for silencing both ribbons, a lever 64 pivoted at 65 to the bracket 63, is formed witha slot 66 to receive the pin 61 and hold the cross bar 41' in' a horizontal position when the lever 64 is moved to the right (Fig. 1) by 5 means of a handle 67. The slot 66 may have its edges beveled to cam the pin 61- either up or down, asthe case may require, when the lever is shifted'to lock the parts in said intermediate position. Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the.

improvements may be used without others. Having-thus described my invention, 1 claim: 65 1. In ribbon-vibrating mechanism, the

combination of ribbon guides shiftable at ternatively to active position, mechanism to vibrate said guides, and means to automatically disconnect said mechanism from either guide when the latter is moved to inactive position.

2. In ribbon-vibrating mechanism, the combination of ribbon guides, a vibrator therefor, means to simultaneously shift the guides to active and inactive positions respectively, and means to simultaneously shift the connections of the vibrator from one to the other of the ribbon guides.

3. In ribbon-vibrating mechanism, the combination of a ribbon guide, means to shift said guide into and out of position to be vibrated over the printing point, an actuator to vibrate said guide, and means to automatically connect the actuator and guide when the latter is moved to operative position, and to disconnect the actuator and guide Whenthe latter is moved to inoperative position. 1

1. In ribboi1-vibrating mechanism, the combination of ribbon guides vertically shiftable alternatively into and out of active position, and an actuator extending between said guides and laterally shiftable alter-' natively into and out of operative connection with the guides.

5. In ribbon mechanism, the combination of ribbon guides having notches therein, means to shift said guides alternatively to active position, and an actuating lever shiftable to alternatively engage said notches and automatically connect the actuating lever to the active guide.

6. In ribbon mechanism, the combination of ribbon guides, a platen shiftable to upper and lower case positions, a vibrator lever shiftable bodily up and down with the platen, means for vibrating said lever, and means to bodily shift said lever laterally to alternatively engage said ribbon guides.

7. In ribbon mechanism, the combination of ribbon guides, a platen shiftable to upper and lower case positions, a vibrator lever shiftable bodily up and down with the platen, means for vibrating said lever,- means for selectively shifting the ribbon guides vertically into and out of active positions, and means to simultaneously shift the vibrator lever into operative relation to the guide that is shifted to active position.

8. In a typewriting machine, the combination of type-bars, a universal bar actuated thereby, ribbon vibrators, an interponent vibrators to active position, and means 0perated by said manual device to shift the connection of said actuator from one vibrator to the other.

10. The combination of ribbon vibrators selectively movable into and out of active position, a shiftable platen, a-vibrator lever bodily shiftable with the platen, and means to shift said lever into engagement with either vibrator.

11. The combination of ribbon vibrators, shifting devices therefor, means to simultaneously operate said devices to move one vibrator to active position and simultaneously retract the other vibrator to an in active position, an actuator for the vibrators, and means to connect said actuator with either vibrator.

12. The combination of ribbon vibrators, shifting devices therefor, means to simultaneously operate said devices to move one vibrator to active position and simultaneously retract the other vibrator to an inactive position, an actuator for the vibrators, and means to maintain said actuator at all times in operative relation to the active vibrator, and out of operative relation to the inactive vibrator.

13. The combination of ribbon vibrators shiftable alternatively into active position, shifting levers having a lost motion connection with the vibrators to permit the latter to vibrate independently of the shifting levers, and means to simultaneously actuate said levers to reverse the vibrators.

14. The combination of ribbon vibrators shiftable alternatively into active position,

levers to reverse the vibrators, an actuator for said vibrators, and means to maintain said actuator in operative relation to the active vibrator.

15. The combination of ribbon vibrators, shifting levers having means to engage the vibrators, a bar connecting said levers to simultaneously shift them and thereby move one vibrator to active position as the other is moved to inactive position, a key for shifting said bar, and means to vibrate each vibrator when in said .active position, while the other vibrator is held at rest in inactive position.

16. The combination of ribbon vibrators, a key-actuated rock shaft, shifting devices operatively connected to said shaft for shifting the vibrators alternatively to active position, an actuator for the vibrators, and connections between said actuator and the rock shaft'for shifting the actuator alternatively into operative relation with the vibrators.

17. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a platen, a shift rail on which the platen runs, a universal bar, a vibrator lever, connected to shift with the shift rail, operating connections between the universal bar and said lever, ribbon vibrators, means to shift said lever laterally into and out of operative relation with the ribbon vibrators, and means to shift said vbirators alternatively into active position.

18. The combination of ribbon vibrators, means to shift said vibrators alternatively into active position, an actuator for said vibrators, means to maintain said actuator in operative relation to the active vibrator, and a device to lock the vibrators in an intermediate inactive position, said actuator being disconnected from the vibrators when the latter are in said inactive position.

19. In ribbon mechanism, the combination of interchangeable ribbon vibrators, means to move them alternatively into active position, and means to vibrate the vibrator which is in active position while the other vibrator remains at rest in inactive position.

20. The combination of a type-bar segment, a guide plate mounted on the rear of said segment and spaced therefrom, ribbon vibrators between said guide plate and segment, and provided with means cooperating with the guide plate and segment re spectively to guide the vibrators in their vertical movement, and means to shift either vibrator downward and move the ribbon carried thereby into the space between said guide plate and segment.

21. The combination of a type-bar segment, a guide plate thereon, ribbon vibrators between said segment and guide plate, said vibrators movable alternatively to active position, said guide plate being ofiset from the segment to form a pocket for the ribbon forming slot and pin connections betweenv the vibrators and the segment and said plate.

22. In ribbon mechanism, the combination of ribbon guides, a platen shiftable to upper and lower case positions, a vibrator lever shiftable bodily up and down with the platen, means for vibrating said lever, a slide on which said lever is mounted, and means to operate said slide and shift said lever bodily into operative connection with either ribbon guide and out of operative connection with the other guide, so that either ribbon guide may be vibrated by said lever while the other guide remains inactlve.

231 In a typewriting machine, the combination of a universal bar, a shiftable platen, a ribbon vibrator, an actuator for vibrating said vibrator over the platen, said actuator shiftable with the platen and carrying the vibrator with it to maintain the same relative position of the vibrator-and platen lever laterally in said space into positions to cooperate with either of said guides, and means to cause said lever, when rotated about its pivot, to automatically effect a driving connection with the ribbon guide toward which it has been shifted' 125. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a ribbon guide, of a key to shift said guide to and from an operative position from which it may be vibrated over the printing point, an actuator to vibrate said guide from said operative position, and means to connect said actuator and guide when the latter is moved to operative po sition, and to disconnect the actuator and guide when the latter is moved away from said operative position.

26. In a typewriting machine, the combination with ribbon guides through each of which a separate ribbon may be guided, means to shift either ribbon guide to an active position, the other guide being in an inactive position with its ribbon below the v range of movement of the active guide, and

vibrating means for said ribbon guides operative to vibrate the active guide and move its ribbon over the printing point while the inactive guide remains at rest in said inactive position.

27. In a typewriting machine, the combi nation with a type-bar segment, of a ribbon guide mounted on said segment for vertical vibrating movement to vibrate a ribbon carried thereby over the printing point, said ribbon guide shiftable downwardly to an inoperative position in which the guide is located below the upper surface of the segment, and shiftable upwardly to an operative position in which theguide projects above the segment, a vibrator lever for vibrating said guide, operatively connected to the guide when the latter is in said operative position, and means for maintaining said lever disconnected from the guide when the latter is in said inoperative position.

28. In a front-strike typewriting machine,

the combination with a vertically-disposed type-bar-segment, of ribbon guides mounted on said segment and shiftable to bring either guide to an operative position in which-it extends above the segment while the other guide is held in an inoperative position, an

actuator to vibrate the operative guide and means for automatically disconnecting said actuator from one guide and connecting it to the other when the positions of the guides are reversed, so that said actuator is always operatively connected to the operative guide.

29. The combination with a type-bar segment and a guide plate thereon, of ribbon guides supported and guided between said segment and guide plate, said guide plate being offset from the segment to form a slot extending laterally beyond the ribbon guides, means to shift either ribbon guide upwardly to an operative position anwhich its ribbon is held above the segment, and to concomitantly shift the other guidedownwardly to an inoperative position in which its ribbon is carried into said slot, and means to vibrate the operative ribbon guide while the other guide is held at rest in its inoperative position.

30. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a vertically-disposed type-bar segment, of ribbon guides located behind said segment and shiftable upwardly alternatively to an active position, each ribbon guide, while in active position, projecting above the segment and holding its rib-- bon above the segment while the other guide holds its ribbon below the upper surface of the segment, and actuating means for the ribbon guides to vibrate the operative guide while the other guide remains at rest in its lowered position.

31. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a type-bar segment, of a guide plate mounted thereon and offset therefrom to form a slot to receive either one of a pair of'ribbons, ribbon guides between said segment and guide plate through which said ribbons are threaded, said guide plate having anadditional offset in which the ribbon guides are supported and guided, means to shift either ribbon guide to an operative position above said guide plate and segment, and concomitantly shift the other ribbon guide downwardly to carry 'ts ribbon into said slot, and means to vibra e the operative ribbon guide.

32. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen shiftable to upper-and lower case positions, of ribbon guides alternatively shiftable to an operative position, shifting means for shifting said guides, said shifting means mounted to move up and down with the platen and thereby maintain a constant relation between the operative ribbon guide and platen as the latter is shifted, an actuator for vibrating the operaative ribbon guide said actuator mounted to shift up and down with the platen, and means to disconnect said actuator from the active ribbon guide when the latter is moved from active to inactive position and to connect said actuator with the other ribbon guide when the latter is moved from inactive to active position.

33. In a typewriting machine, the combination with ribbon guides, of shifting mechanism for shifting either ribbon guide to an operative position, an actuator for vibrating the operative ribbon guide, said shifting mechanism comprising a key-operated rock shaft and means operated thereby to move one guide to operative position when the rock shaft is rocked in one direction, and to move the other guide to operative position when the rock shaft is rocked in the opposite direction, and a connection between said rock shaft and said actuator for shifting the" 15 actuator into operative relation to each ribbon guide when the latter is moved to operati-ve position, whereby said actuator is al- Ways operativeiy connected to the operative guide.

JOHN C. MOLAUGHLIN. Witnesses:

F. E. ALEXANDER, GEO. J. KUNEY. 

